


Handwriting

by Zoe13



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: M/M, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-29
Updated: 2014-08-29
Packaged: 2018-02-15 05:38:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2217771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoe13/pseuds/Zoe13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael's got Luke's first words to him on his wrist and he's seen his on Luke's. Why is Luke ignoring that?</p>
<p>Soulmate au</p>
            </blockquote>





	Handwriting

**Author's Note:**

> I know I know I know I need to work on Love Notes but this popped into my head and had to be written and now I'm too exhausted for anther story. I promise to update it soon!

Michael had always hated his handwriting. The handwriting on his wrist was so beautiful; a little scrawling and not perfect, but _beautiful_. His handwriting was shorter and almost stilted looking. It was bold and ugly and so him that he couldn't help but hate it. He made himself write differently- long and thin and a bit flowing, but it was hard and he only did it when he knew others would see his handwriting.

He didn't want his soulmate to see their handwriting matched together because he just knew that it would show glaring differences- his soulmate was probaby sweet, thoughtful, funny, _gorgeous_...

_Hey, I'm Luke._

He wore it proudly, though. He just knew somehow that his soulmate would be someone to be proud of, even though they wouldn't work out. They couldn't. Michael just couldn't believe that the universe had given him someone.

Calum's wrist had some funky handwriting. It also said ' _sup? I'm Ashton_. Michael thought it was perfect for Calum. He knew that relationship would work out. Calum already seemed fond of his soulmate, even though he hadn't yet met him.

Then Michael met Luke.

_Hey, I'm Luke._

And Luke said nothing. Michael said "Heard your singing's good," and Luke just nodded shyly. He stared at Michael afterwards but stopped when Calum showed him a lyric set he and Michael had written. Luke saw Michael's handwriting and he didn't say a thing. Michael saw Luke's handwriting and it was the same as on his wrist. He wanted to hate him, but he couldn't. So he pretended he did.

His whole life he'd told himself that this was exactly how it would go, but when it had actually happened, it hurt. A lot. He covered up his mark with bracelets and Luke fortunately got into the habit of doing the same, so Michael didn't have to see his words, his handwriting on him. He came to terms with it eventually and he and Luke ended up best friends. The anger he had taken out on Luke became resignation. He couldn't have Luke like he wanted but he did have him as a best friend.

They never talked about soul marks and Michael figured it was because of his mark on Luke's arm.

When Michael contacted Ashton it made him feel better. When he saw his Facebook picture he knew it must be Calum's crazy soulmate and he wrote to him. Sure enough, his first words were _'sup? I'm Ashton_.

_...nice shirt_ was written on his wrist and Michael almost died laughing because of course Calum's first words to his soulmate were sarcastic.

_______

Quite frankly, Luke was jealous of Michael. Well, there were several ways in which he was jealous of him, but he was specifically jealous of him because no one had ever seen his soulmark. There were a couple pictures of Luke's and as soon as their fans had distinguished what it said, many had started coming up to look and saying _heard your singing's good_ and it drove him nuts. It drove him crazy because they all had soulmates they would meet and they would be embarrassed about that one boy they tried to fake it with because he was in a band. It didn't drive him crazy that it would be harder to find his soulmate because honestly? He didn't _want_ to find his soulmate. He knew he couldn't give them what they wanted because- well, he'd given it away already.

The first time someone said _heard your singing's good_ it had been Michael. Luke hadn't noticed for a minute and then he couldn't stop staring. When he saw Michael's handwriting his heart had actually _sunk_ and he'd thought it was just disappointment, but by the time they were touring with One Direction, he knew he was in love with Michael. It was the worst thing that had ever happened to him because _Michael had a soulmate_. Somewhere out in the world, someone was waiting to meet Michael. Someone who needed to be sweet, thoughtful, funny, gorgeous... So many things that only Michael himself could be. That there was someone who was perfect for Michael, Luke just couldn't believe. 

Calum had forbidden the topic of Michael's soulmark. He'd told Luke that shortly after they met Ashton. When Luke asked Calum, Calum said he didn't even know, that all he knew was that it made Michael miserable. Luke made sure to never mention it, even when he and Michael became best friends. 

As he looked at his soulmark he couldn't help but think that it reminded him of Michael; not just the words, but the handwriting too. But he'd seen Michael's handwriting and even doubting for a second would just break his heart, so he pulled his bracelets back down and sighed. Those words would only ever remind him of Michael.

"Curious about them?" Calum asked, sitting next to Luke. 

"I think it's a guy," Luke said. Calum looked thoughtful for a moment. 

"Yeah, the handwriting isn't girly at all."

"I don't want to meet them," Luke said softly. 

"I know," Calum sighed, throwing an arm across Luke's shoulders. "I think that Michael has already met his. I wish I'd bothered to look at it before he started covering it. He's so bitter about it and it kind of worries me that he'll just be alone." 

"You really think Michael couldn't just pick someone and they'd ditch their soulmate?" Luke snorted. 

"I don't know about that, but I suppose I'd say the same about Ashton," Calum laughed. 

"It's not the same," Luke said a bit bitterly, folding his hands in his lap. Calum squeezed his shoulder. 

"People don't always end up with their soulmates," he said. 

"I know," Luke said, then forced the thought from his mind.

_______

Luke was relieved to spend the night at a hotel. Being on tour was worth the discomfort of the bus, but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate a large, soft bed. 

Because of Calum and Ashton's  relationship, Luke and Michael always shared a room. It worked out perfectly, and Luke loved watching movies with Michael or even just crowding onto one of the beds to cuddle for a bit. He loved it the most when one of them fell asleep and the other stayed out for fear of waking them. It was probably stupid to get that close but he couldn't help it. Michael was like a magnet. 

Michael was hunched over a notebook, however, lost to the world as he scribbled down lyrics. There were few things Luke wanted more than a chance to read that book. Sometimes Michael would pick a few lines he liked and send them to one of them, but no one had ever seen inside it. It was a thick, unassuming blue journal and Luke wondered how long Michael had had it. 

"Michael," Luke whined, draping himself over the back of the chair Michael was in, resting his chin on Michael's shoulder. Michael didn't even notice as he wrote faster and faster. Luke looked at the book just as Michael set his pen down. 

"What, Luke?" he asked. 

Luke sat there, frozen. "The handwriting," he said weakly, standing up and grabbing the book. He didn't process a single word- he looked at the a's and the e's and the g's and it was all the same. It was the exact same handwriting that was on his wrist. "Michael, you-"

"Give that back!" Michael seemed offended as he took the book back. "I know, my handwriting is terrible."

"No- it's-" Luke yanked his sleeve up, glad that he'd skipped the bracelets. 

_Heard your singing's good_

"I know," Michael said.  His eyes were glassing over with tears and Luke didn't understand. 

"What? You knew? Michael- you're my _soulmate_ ," Luke breathed almost reverently. 

"I know!" Michael exclaimed, standing up quickly and going over to shove his book in his suitcase. Luke followed him. "If we had to have this conversation couldn't we have had it years ago?"

"Years? Michael, I didn't know!"

"You-" Michael turned white, his hands trembling. "You didn't know?"

"No!"

"But I said it and you saw my handwri-" understanding dawned and Michael groaned. "I hated my handwriting so I tried to change it. No one's seen my real handwriting."

Hope rose in Michael's chest but he knew he would still be rejected. After all, Luke was everything he'd imagined- and more. He sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands. 

"I think your handwriting is perfect," Luke said softly. He knelt in front of Michael and held his wrist out, putting the words on display for the other boy. Michael moved his hands to gently touch the words and Luke saw tears on his face. 

"But it's so-"

"you?" Luke finished for him. Michael nodded, still looking at Luke's wrist. "That's exactly why it's perfect, Michael."

"I thought you were ashamed," Michael said. "The years after we met I thought- I thought you knew and that you didn't want me."

"You thought I didn't want- Michael, I was going crazy because I _did_ want you! I thought that we both had soulmates out there that we were going to meet and I would have to tell mine that I couldn't give him what he wanted. I thought you would meet yours and leave me all alone."

Michael still wouldn't meet his eyes and Luke took his hand in his, tugging off the bracelets and looking. 

_Hey, I'm Luke._

"Of all of the things that I am proud of, the fact that this was me is the one I'm proudest of," Luke told Michael. Michael finally looked up, lacing their fingers together as he met Luke's eyes. 

"I'm glad," he said, a smile playing across his lips. He lifted their joined hands and their marks met as their wrists rested against each other. "I'm glad that you're my soulmate. I never dreamed that you- you would feel the same."

"It's no wonder you hated me when we met," Luke said. 

"I didn't hate you. I was just angry, and I took it out on you unfairly. My whole life I assumed my soulmate wouldn't want me, but when it seemed true I was hurt."

"Why did you think that?" Luke asked, looking up at him and clasping his hand in both of his. 

"Look at our handwriting," Michael said, turning over their hands and comparing their wrists. "When I saw your handwriting I just knew you would be perfect. But mine portrayed who I am. It just seemed bold, loud, and ugly."

"I am nowhere near perfect," Luke said. "And I think your handwriting is beautiful. It _does_ portray who you are and I love it. When I thought my soulmate was someone else I would look at my mark and think about how it reminded me of you and that made it unbearable, just sitting and waiting for someone not you to say those words to me and someone not me to say _these_ words to you." He gently touched the mark again. "I can't believe it."

"Me neither," Michael choked out, gripping Luke's hand. 

Luke reached out his other hand and bushed his knuckles against Michael's cheek. "I love you, Michael."

Michaels eyes widened and Luke"s heart wanted to break at Michael's surprise. 

"I- I love you too," he said. He covered the hand on his cheek and leaned into Luke's touch, closing his eyes. He opened them after a moment and Luke leaned in slowly, his own eyes fluttering shut as his lips met Michael's. 

It was perfect, everything Luke had wanted it to be and then some. Michael leaned down toward him, closing all the space between them that he could and pulling Luke's hand to his chest, spreading it over his heart. Luke could feel the rhythm of his heart and it was quick, even when he pulled away.

"You're never allowed to use any other handwriting again," Luke said breathlessly. 

"Agreed," Michael nodded.

His handwriting wasn't so bad anyway. He could live with it.


End file.
